Child of the Sea
by Luna Dark Midnight
Summary: Ten years ago, something happened. The D. brothers lifes were changed forever, and their adventures started sooner than they expected. Now, seventeen year old Monkey D. Luffy, along with his brothers, Ace and Sabo, has started his pirate journey. One Piece story with variations Alive!Sabo /Ace and Luffy: blood related
1. Prologue

**Hello there! First of all, in this story, I've decide Monkey D. Luffy hasn't eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but another devil fruit. As for his past, some things will remain the sam (his meeting with Shanks) but others will be completely changed. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of it's characters**

**Prologue**

Luffy raised his head, eyeing the sky. Today was the day. The boy smiled at the grave in front of him

-"Today we leave. We're finally gonna start our own crew!"

-"We've come to say goodbye, for it will be a while till we're able to return"- Ace, the big brother smiled at his younger sibling while he placed a flower at her grave- "don't worry, I'll take care of him. Sabo will too"

-"Yeah!"- the last boy, a blond one with a top hat, laughed- "we promise we won't let him sink an island!"

-"Meanies"- Luffy murmured

-"Anyway, I hope you're watching us. We'll be alright. Now, we've gotta go! Rumors say Grandpa is around these parts, we don't want him to catch us!"- Ace exclaimed

-"So, see you soon! We'll come back once we achieve our dreams!"

As they left, Luffy saw the grave one more time. It was made with black marble, and the letters looked as new as when they were written

**_MONKEY D. ROUGE_**

**_Beloved friend, Beloved mother_**

Luffy gave one of his rare soft smiles

-"See you later, mom"


	2. The Beginning of the crew

** Chapter 1: The Beginning of the crew, Pirate Hunter Zoro**

-"Can you please tell me why you chose East Blue?"

-"Dunno. Ask the captain"

-"Luffyyyyy…."

-"It's were we come from. Seems like the right thing to do"

-"But it's the weakest of all the Blues!"

-"So?"

-"Sabo! Make him see reason!"

-"Believe me, I've tried. Shanks, just let us go in peace. You're not gonna change his mind"

The red-head let out a sigh

-"You know, ever since I've taken you under my wing, you've always manage to surprise me one way or the other. It's an annoying trait"

-"Tell me about it"- Ace exclaimed

-"Another question"- Shanks' first mate, Ben, interrupted- "Why are you leaving on that rowing boat?"

-"Captain's orders"- Ace held his nose bridge- "he said it was better if we started from zero. Remind me again, why did we choose him as captain?"

Sabo seemed to answer mechanically, for he had answered this question _too _many times

-"Because he wants to be Pirate King, because we promised and because we're afraid he will get himself killed if we leave him alone"

Shanks looked like he wanted to continue trying to convince him to choose another place as their starting point, but Luffy already wanted to leave

-"Let's go! We have to look for crew members! And adventure! And meat!"

-"Yeah, yeah, yeah"- Sabo said, waving his hand dismissally, before he eyed the red-head- "we'll send a letter as soon as possible, Shanks"

Said red-hair chuckled

-"You don't have to tell me that. Oi, Luffy, take care of my hat!"- the man pointed to the hat he had given Luffy when he was just a boy -"Return that to me when you come to the New World!"

Luffy's grin grew excitedly

-"You bet"- as the boat was lowered to the water, the boy stood up and yelled at the top of his lungs- "I'M GONNA BE THE PIRATE KING!"

Ace followed his example

-"I'M GONNA SHOW TO THE WORLD!"

Sabo chuckled. Neh, what the heck

-"I'M GONNA WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THE WHOLE WORLD!"

The Red-Haired pirates laughed. Oh, they were gonna miss those boys. Yassop, Lucky Roo, Rockstar, among others, were waving maniacally. Shanks and Ben, on the other hand, we're seeing their departure with a proud smile.

-"Those boys will go far"

Ben had to agree with Shanks' statement. Will, power, spirit… the D. brothers will become something. Their own adventure had just started

* * *

-"Soooo hungry…"

-"IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT, YOU IDIOTS!"- Sabo replied with shark teeth, glaring at the idiots he was brothers with. Honestly! Only a few hours at the sea, and they had already eaten every supply on their boat

-"But Sabo, there was soo little…"- Ace moaned

-"IT WAS ENOUGH FOR THIRTY MEN!"

Luffy laughed and Sabo had to resist the urge to hit him hard on the head

_"Patience Sabo. He's your little brother… he's the little boy you swore to protect… he's the idiot captain who just ate all the food we had, and now we're probably gonna starve…"_

-"We can probably fish"

-"And with what, exactly? We have no bait, we can't swim"

-"Oh yeah"

The three brothers slumped in their dingy, crestfallen. Suddenly, Luffy got up, eyes sparkling

-"Look!"- up in the sky, they saw a huge bird- "let's eat it!"

-"How do we get it?"- Sabo asked

-"Leave it to me"- without saying another word, Luffy jumped, and went flying towards the bird

-"FOOD!"- Ace's mouth started to water. They expected Luffy to land again with the animal, however, they were in for a big surprise. Sabo sweatdroped as he saw how Luffy's head ended in the bird's mouth, and was being carried away

-"ACE! SABO! HELP!"

-"YOU IDIOT!"- Ace and Sabo screamed at the same time, grabbing the oars and rowing after them at full speed

As the bird disappeared in the distance, Ace's body began flickering with flames

-"When I get my hands on him…"

-"Luffy or the bird?"

-"BOTH"

* * *

Luffy sighed as the bird took him away. He could escape, but that would endanger his precious hat. What is the bird ate it? So he allowed the damn thing to take him were it wanted. Man, it was going to be a pain to find Ace and Sabo

Suddenly, he hear a strange noise… kinda like…

"BOOOOOOOM"

* * *

In a small island called Shells Town, a man stood, tied up to a post. He had been that way for almost two weeks. Roronoa Zoro, feared pirate hunter, was trapped by a worthless and frankly pathetic marine. Yep, things were going great

Bored out of his mind, Zoro listened to the different sounds around him, one being the noisy construction taking place at the top of the marine base he was at (apparently they were raising a statue). However, there was one sound that completely annoyed him. Daddy this, daddy that, Helmeppo just couldn't stay quiet. What was he saying now? Something about how pathetic Zoro was, and how he was gonna be executed and blah blah blah… Wait, what?

That last part managed to snap him out of it

-"Executed?"

Helmeppo gave his disgusting smile

-"Yes, I'm bored. Your execution tomorrow will be something to look forward to"

-"You said you'd let me go once the month is over!"

-"And you believed it? Seriously, are you an idiot? You're gonna die, Roronoa, so enjoy your last few hours"

Zoro released a few colorful words as Helmeppo walked away. He couldn't die! Not here, not like this! He had so much to do, he hadn't yet become the greatest swordsman in the world!

Helmeppo's squeaky voice cut him from his thoughts

-"That bird is shading the sun. Shoot it down"- he pointed a huge one that flew in circles above them

The cowardly marines (Zoro couldn't see them as anything else) complied, and one of them disappeared inside the base, no doubt going for the cannon.

A loud boom was heard, but Zoro ignored it. Even though the cannonball hit, the bird managed to fly away… but what was that? A small dot seemed to get bigger… and bigger…

-"Who the hell…?"- were Zoro's thoughts as said dot, who was a person fell to the ground in front of them, causing a crater

"Well, he's definitely dead" the swordsman thought "but… WHAT THE FUCK?!"

From the crater, a boy stood up. He was very young, seventeen at most, and was wearing a red vest with worn out pants that reached his knees. His face, childish and innocent, had a scar under his left eye. The most prominent feature, however, was a worn out straw hat placed on his head. The boy seemed completely unharmed despite the brutal fall he suffered

-"Who shot that cannon?"- he whined, not paying attention to his surroundings. He dusted his clothes. Finally, he seemed to notice the gaping people staring at him- "Who are you?"

-"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"- Zoro screamed, trying to find some sense to what was happening. The boy smiled

-"Monkey D. Luffy"- he exclaimed proudly.

-"You… you…"- Helmeppo seemed to be fighting a panic attack- "Guard, arrest him for intrusion on marine grounds!"- the idiot seemed to think that every action against his will or knowledge deserve prison. As the marines approached, Luffy's face became dark. This expression lasted for a second, but Zoro saw it.

As Luffy smiled once again, his grin had taken a dangerous edge

-"I don't like you"- he said in a sing-song voice. The boy moved slightly, and knocked the marines with a single punch each. Helmeppo backed away, terrified

-"You…"- before he could say another word, Luffy punched him across the face, sending him flying a few meters

-"Hmmm"- he muttered- "he's still conscious. I held back a little too much…"- he covered his ears as Helmeppo started to scream like a little girl

-"You bastard! How dare you punch my face? I'll tell my father and he'll have you executed!"

-"Why don' you fight your battles, bowl head?"- he teased, using a nickname referring to his strange hairstyle, however, he made no move of going after Helmeppo as he ran towards the base. During this whole encounter, Zoro stood there (obviously, I mean, where could he go?) staring open wide at the man before him. Said man turned to him, curiosity filling his eyes

-"Who are you?"

-"Ro-Roronoa Zoro, pirate hunter"

- "Pirate hunter, huh? Well, what are you doing imprisoned then?"

Instead of answering, Zoro got struck by lightning. This kid… he was his ticket out of here!

-"Long story short, I got trick by that idiot son. Untie me, and I promise I'll hunt a pirate with a large bounty and give you the reward money. I'm a man of my word"

He seemed to think about this

-"Are you strong?"- he asked, completely ignoring Zoro's proposal

-"What?"

-"Are you strong?"

-"I… I am"- Zoro couldn't help but smirk- "I'm the greatest swordsman in East Blue, and soon, I'll become the greatest in the world"

Luffy whistled

-"Pretty high ambition. Hey, join my pirate crew"

Zoro stared at him, surprised

-"Of course not! I would never stand so low as to become a petty criminal"

-"What's so wrong with being a pirate? I've heard about you, Roronoa Zoro. You have the reputation of a demon"

-"I don't care what people think of me. I have no regrets and I have goals I will achieve"

-"Great. Achieve them as a pirate"

-"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I'M NOT GONNA BE A PIRATE!"

-"You're a swordsman, right?"

Zoro was left speechless at the sudden change in the conversation. He shook his head to snap out of it

-"Yeah, but that bastard Helmeppo took away my swords. The are the most important thing to me, next to my life"

-"I'll get them for you"

-"You… you'd do that?"- Zoro was once again speechless. How many times could this guy leave him without knowing what the hell to say?

-"You'll have to join my crew"

-"THAT'S BLACKMAIL!"

Luffy laughed out loud before he ran towards the marine base, leaving a surprised Zoro behind

_"Who the hell is that guy?"_

* * *

Luffy approached the base filled with confusion

-"Even if this is East Blue, I would have thought the marines bases were more… secure. Where the hell is everybody?"- Luffy rose his head, and what he saw made everything clear. There seemed to be movement on the roof.

-"Everyone must be up there… maybe that shitty bowl head is up there… he could help me find Zoro's swords"- Luffy bend his knees and jumped in the air. As he reached, due to some strange wind current, his landing swayed a bit, resulting in him crashing against some weird statue, breaking it some. Apparently, the marines were making it stand up, but Luffy's violent crash had broken the marines' grip, causing it to fall

As he looked at the crumbling statue, he couldn't help but comment

-"Man, that was one ugly statue"

A shadow towered over him, and Luffy sweatdroped as he saw a man who was the exact replica of the statue… better said, the statue was made in his image

-"Hmmm… nice statue?"

-"I'LL KILL YOU, BRAT! I'LL HAVE YOU EXECUTED!"- Luffy avoided one of the man's blows. The psycho had an axe instead of an arm! As he jumped, he saw Helmeppo among some terrified marines

-"There you are!"- to Helmeppo's horror, the straw hat boy appeared just before him in a second- "You'll be helping me now"- saying this, Luffy grabbed Helmeppo's shirt and started dragging him inside the building, determined on finding Zoro's swords.

* * *

As for Zoro, things weren't going so well. That damn marine, captain Morgan, had suddenly got into that empty hole he called a head, that he, Roronoa Zoro, had organized a revolution with the straw hat wearing boy… of all the things a revolution. While tied to a post. Yep, this guy was a genius.

-"YOU'RE EXECUTION WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THAT STRAW HAT WILL FOLLOW AS WELL. FIRE!"

_"No… I can't die here… I haven't fulfilled my promise… Kuina…"_

The gunfires were heard, but soon a red blur placed himself between Zoro and the marines. He smirked as the bullets impacted with his body

-"YOU…"- Zoro couldn't believe what just happened. That boy… why…

His eyes widened as he saw the truth. The bullets had stopped inches from the boys skin, and were hovering in the air, trembling slightly from repressed power

-"THAT WON'T WORK"- he declared proudly. With a flick of his wrist, the bullets directed themselves at the marines, shooting down half of them

Zoro struggled to find his voice

-"Who… who are you?"

-"I'm the man who will become pirate king"

Zoro's first reaction was pure and utter bewilderment. This boy, pirate king? But then, the sensation was replaced by something else. Zoro could feel a weird energy coming from this boy. Beneath the smiles, beneath that childish attitude, lay something else. Something… powerful. Something that could even help him achieve his dream. Luffy approached him, three swords in his hand

-"I've heard you use Santoryu. These three swords must be yours. You have two choices. You've already been declared an outlaw. You may die here like a dog, or you can come with me as a pirate"

Zoro smirked

-"Are you the son of the devil?"

-"Something like that…"

-"Fine, I'll accept your proposal. I will fulfill my dream, and if I have to be a criminal to do it, then so be it. Pirate, marine… it doesn't matter. My name will reach the sky!"

-"YES! I gained a new nakama!"

-"Hurry up and untie me, you idiot!"

As Luffy and Zoro were talking, the marines were frozen, gazing at Luffy in fear

-"Wh-what is he?"

-"He stopped all the bullets!"

-"It's an akuma no mi… that boy must have eaten one of the sea's treasures"

-"I thought they were legend!"

-"The power of the devil"- a smart man would have run away. But Captain Morgan, being already the genius he was, decided to do the opposite thing

-"ATTACK! IF BULLETS WON'T WORK, THEN USE SWORDS!"

As the marines approached, Luffy was struggling with the rope

-"Weird… did it just get tighter?"

-"HURRY UP!"

-"Screw this"- Luffy muttered. The young pirate made a movement with his finger, and the ropes fell to the ground. As the marines were bringing their swords down, Zoro grabbed his katana, and in one swift movement, he blocked all their attacks

-"Move and you die"- he threatened, making the marines cry with fear

-"Sugeeee"- Luffy exclaimed, stars in his eyes. Zoro decided to make things clear with his captain

-"I may be a pirate, but listen well. I will become the world's greatest swordsman. If you ever do anything that will make me abandon my dreams, I swear, I will cut you down"

-"I wouldn't expect anything else from a member of the future pirate king's crew. It would be embarrassing if you can't even do something like that"

Zoro smirked. He liked this kid

-"Well said"

A dangerous smile adorned Luffy's face

-"I don't like corrupt marines… or weaklings who do everything they say. Zoro, DUCK!"

Zoro did so, just as Luffy raised his leg and gave a kick at the air. The kick was so strong, it created an air current that cut the marines as if it were a sword.

Zoro gasped

-"What are you?"

-"I ate the Wind-Wind Fruit, manipulation type. I can control wind, but I cannot turn myself into it like logia fruit users can. "

-"I see"- Morgan approached Luffy, clearly not sensing this was one battle he could not win- "You ate a Devil Fruit. No matter, a peasant like you can never defeat my mighty self. I'm the captain of this marine base, my rank determines my superiority!"

-"I've seen marines of higher posts. You are nothing but a fly compare to them. And like one, I have to squish you"- saying this, Luffy ran towards the marine at inhuman speeds, and once he reached him, he landed a punch on his face, followed by a hand that crushed Morgan's skull against the dirt

-"STOP, STRAW HAT!"- Luffy didn't stop his beating, but he did raise his head in the direction of the voice. There, Helmeppo was holding a little girl hostage. Luffy growled. He stopped beating Morgan, and stared at Helmeppo with a face that would fill an Admiral's heart with fear

-"To use a little girl as hostage… you guys are worse than trash"- before he could even react, Helmeppo was hit by a current that impacted against him full force, while the little girl was softly taken by a breeze that landed her in the ground

-"You... won't defeat… CAPTAIN MORGAN!"

_"Damn… He's still conscious? I'm really holding myself back"_

Before Luffy could fix that little problem, Zoro appeared, killing Morgan with a move with his swords

-"If anyone wants to arrest us, attack now!"- he growled. Instead, the marines started cheering, tears at their eyes

-"They were controlled by Morgan"- Zoro declared. Luffy smiled, but inside he was seething with anger. As he said earlier, he hated weaklings who only followed orders, or followed leaders because of fear.

Zoro collapsed, but before he could worry too much, he heard a stomach grumble

-"I'm hungry…"- the ex-pirate hunter muttered

* * *

Zoro patted his stomach, at last filled with food

-"That meal was worth starvation for two weeks"- he said happily. He then saw Luffy eating- "Wait a minute, how can you eat more than a starving man?"

-"It's soo gooood! Thanks for the food, lady"

Said lady smiled

-"It's my way of thanking you for saving my daughter from that Helmeppo. Rika was actually going there to sneak some rice balls for you, Mr. Roronoa"

-"She was?"

-"Yes, unfortunately, in the commotion, she dropped and lost them. It was a pity"

Zoro looked at the small figure of the girl

-"I'm sure they must have been delicious"- he muttered

The girl beamed

-"If you ever come back, I will make more for you"- Zoro laughed good heartily. He then turned to his new captain

-"So, who else is on our crew?"

-"Including you? Three. My older brothers and I were separated. They must be looking for me"

-"Your brothers?"

-"Yes, they are Ace and Sabo"

-"Are they like you?"- Zoro asked fearfully

-"Well…"

-"THERE YOU ARE, YOU BASTARD!"- the bar was irrupted by two young men Zoro had never seen. One was a black-haired, freckled face boy, probably twenty, that wore an open yellow shirt and cargo pants. He wore a cowboy hat with a happy and a sad mask on the front. The other was a blond one that was shirtless, also had cargo pants, and was wearing a cape. Like the other two, he had a trademark hat: a top one with goggles. He was also missing a tooth. Both men looked furious. The black-haired lunged at Luffy and grabbed him by the neck

-"YOU IDIOT! HOW DARE YOU LET YOURSELF BE TAKEN BY A SHITTY, WORTHLESS BIRD! SABO AND I HAD TO ROW FOR HOURS UNTIL WE FINALLY REACHED THIS GOD FORSAKEN ISLAND! AND WHILE WE WERE STARVING AND WORKING OUR ASS OFF, YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO BE EATING A BANQUET?"

-"I'M-I'M SORRY!"

Zoro didn't know what to do. Shouldn't he protect the captain? On the other hand, these people knew him. Perhaps they were his brothers?

After a while, Ace finally manage to calm down (thanks to Sabo, who had also managed to find his well known patience), and the two brothers sat down at the table, joining the meal

-"Sorry about grabbing some food"- Sabo politely said, while using manners beyond the ability of his two brothers- "but we'll pay you back"

-"Don't worry"- the kind woman said- "if you're here with Luffy, then I will give you food with no charge. My treat"

-"SWEET!"- Ace exclaimed while stuffing his face in a motion similar to Luffy's. When he finally had enough, he saw Zoro

-"Say… who are you?"

-"YOU MEAN YOU JUST NOTICE ME?"

-"He's Zoro"- Luffy interrupted- "Our new nakama"

The ex-bounty hunter half expected the brothers to fall from their seats, but strangely, they didn't

-"Roronoa Zoro, the bounty hunter?"- Sabo eyed Zoro with interest- "Heard a lot about you. You've managed to build quite a reputation, even when you come from the weakest sea. My name is Monkey D. Sabo, and this pig here is Monkey D. Ace"

-"OI!"- Ace exclaimed. Sabo ignored him

As for Zoro, now he was really curious. A crew of four people? That was a little low on numbers

-"Isn't four people a little too… low?"

Luffy laughed

-"Don't worry. We're strong"

-"Where's our ship?"

-"Over there"- Ace pointed outside the window, to a little dingy that was, at that moment, being peed by a passing dog. Zoro sweatdroped

_"What the hell have I've gotten myself into?"_

-"Don't worry, Zoro. Soon, we'll have a large ship, with lots cannons and sails"- Luffy said dreamily, as he pictured said ship

-"As you can see"- Sabo explained while eating- "Luffy was born without the part of his brain that plans future actions. You'll have to get used to it"

Before anything else could be said, a group of marines entered the restaurant. Zoro saw how a cloud passed over the older brothers' face, only to disappear a moment later. The substitute captain of the marines eyed the boys warily

-"Is it true you're pirates?"

-"Yes"- Luffy replied calmly

-"As thankful as we are for you saving our town, we must ask you to leave. Right now. As pirates, we must arrest you, but if you leave right now, we'll let you go"

-"Don't you love when a marine follows duty, Sabo?"- Ace asked in a dangerous tone

-"One of life's pleasures."- Sabo answered sarcastically- "Everything they do… for the sake of justice"

Zoro shivered at their tone, as well as the marines. Two things were clear: one, these guys were dangerous, and two, they held resentment, if not anger, towards marines. Before the tension had a chance to grow, Luffy stepped up and smiled at the marines, while placing a hand on his brothers' shoulders

-"Ok"- he chirped- "We'll leave. Guys, let's go"

The young pirates boarded their dingy, and waved at Rika, her mother and the villagers who came to the coast to say goodbye. As the island became smaller and smaller, Zoro decided to know more of his new crew

-"So… why did you become pirates? What are your goals?"

The three of them smiled

-"To be free and become the pirate king!"

-"To travel the world and write a book about it"

-"To prove to them"- this last statement caught Zoro by surprise

-"Prove? To whom?"

-"I'll prove to the world. As for what, that's for me to know and for the rest to find out. So tell me, Zoro, what's your goal?"

-"To become the world's greatest swordsman"

Ace smirked

-"An admirable goal, and difficult too. Luffy can sure pick them up, right Sabo?"

-"What do you expect? He is our captain and little brother"

Zoro smiled, feeling strangely comfortable along these people. Closing his eyes, he decided to take a nap. The heavens knew he was going to need it.


	3. The Thief

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of One Piece. The genious Eiichiro Oda does**

**Chapter 2: The thief**

Nami had happy expression on her face. She had just stolen a good amount of treasure from some stupid, no-good pirates, and was on a very good mood. Her goal, her dream, was just at her fingertips. A few more belis, and she would achieve the objective she set herself to since she was eight.

Eying the distance, Nami smiled as she saw the island getting closer

_"Buggy the Clown"_ she thought _"your treasure shall be mine"_

* * *

-"Are we there yet?"

-"No"

-"What about now?"

-"No"

-"Now?"

-"Luffy"- Sabo was trying really, _really_ hard, to NOT throw his little brother overboard- "If we did not reach land now, I doubt we will reach it in only five minutes"

Silence

-"How about now?"

-"NO, DAMN IT!"- exclaimed Ace and Zoro, as Sabo rubbed his temples

Luffy pouted

-"I'm bored. We've been at open sea for too long."

-"FIND A WAY TO ENTERTAIN YOURSELF WITHOUT PISSING EVERYONE OFF!"- as he was screaming, Ace suddenly froze and fell on his back

-"O-OI! What happened to him? Is he dead?"- Zoro approached Ace with a worried expression, but stopped when he heard laughter

-"Don't worry about that, Zoro!"- Luffy's laugh was happy, well-meaning- "Ace falls asleep at the strangest of times"

-"B-but he was talking…"

-"He's narcoleptic"- Sabo controlled his laughter better than Luffy- "It goes in the family. Luffy has it in a minor degree. Ace, on the other hand…"

A loud snore seemed to confirm this notion

-"So… what happens if he falls asleep in the middle of a fight?"

-"We leave him to die"- at seeing Zoro's horrified expression, Sabo smiled- "Just joking. It doesn't occur very often during fights. But when it does, there are some options: a) we try to wake him up, b) we move him away, or c) we fight the enemy in his stead, and pray he will still be alive once the fight is over"

-"Oh"

-"You get used to it. As for... this"- he pointed at Ace's limp form- "he'll wake up eventually. In case of emergency, hit him hard on the head, but be ready to avoid one hell of a punch. He's cranky when someone wakes him up unexpectedly"

Zoro moved away from Ace. Something told him that was one punch he did NOT want to take

-"Saboooo"- Luffy suddenly whined- "when will we reach land?"

A tick mark appeared on Sabo's face. He thought they were over this episode

-"Luffy"- the blond was seriously thinking of committing an act that would destroy his reputation as _"Gentleman Sabo"_- "I don't know. I might be good with the damn compass, but I'm no navigator. I have no fucking idea how to calculate the distance between islands, or how long it will take to travel by them."

-"I see"- Luffy brought his fist down to his open palm. Zoro and Sabo sweatdroped

At the distance, if he squinted his eyes, Sabo thought he could see an island… but he could already imagine the dire consequences of revealing that information. When Luffy was bored, he got a little too excited when he saw a new island. When they were a part of Shanks' crew, the ship was big enough to withstand an excited Luffy… but this dingy… they would be lucky if it didn't sink.

-"Luffy, look over there"- Sabo pointed at a random direction

-"What?"- as he was looking away, Sabo grabbed his staff (which was normally hidden by his cape) and hit Luffy's head as hard as he could. The young captain fell unconscious

-"What was that for?"

-"Calm yourself, Zoro. It had to be done. When Luffy is bored, he tends to overreact when we find an island. In a boat, this doesn't mean anything… but if he starts to move here too much, he might make a hole on the dingy… and the three of us cannot swim."

-"You can't swim?"

Sabo detected the incredulity in his voice.

-"Luffy already told you he ate a devil fruit, right?"- Zoro nodded- "Well, that power is not for free. In exchange for this inhuman ability, the person who eats the fruit is hated by the ocean, so he loses his ability to swim"

-"That's one nasty side-effect"

-"Tell me about it"

-"So, the two of you have also eaten a devil fruit?"

-"Yeah. Luffy ate his by accident, he was just a kid. As for Ace and me… let's just say certain circumstances in life made that decision a necessity. Ace ate the flame- flame fruit; he is a logia who can control fire. I ate a tiger-tiger fruit, white fur version. The name says it all."

-"Wow… wait, if you can turn into a tiger, then why do you have a bow staff? And why is a logia here following Luffy? Aren't logias supposed to be the most powerful of devil fruit users?"

Sabo smiled softly

-"We rather not depend too much on our powers. That's why we trained our bodies first, and use our powers only as assets. As for Ace, well… fire is a difficult element. Ace can control it, but he can't turn into it without burning everything around him. As for why are we following Luffy… I think you can answer that question yourself, Zoro."

Zoro observed Luffy. It was true, ever since he saw this kid…

-"My little brother is special. I don't know how to explain it, but he has something that made me swore to follow and protect him. The same goes for Ace, I also swore I would protect him too, but Luffy… I have no doubt that he has the strength to achieve his goal. He will become the pirate king… and I will do anything in my power to help him achieve that dream."

Before they could discuss the subject more deeply, a voice interrupted them

-"Damn, I fell asleep again

* * *

-"LAND!"- Luffy shouted in happiness, jumping in the harbor of the island they just arrived.

-"Luffy, wait!"- too late. Luffy had already ran off, intent on exploring and finding a new adventure

-"Geez, why does he run off like that?"- Ace muttered. His little brother's acts never changed.

-"Shouldn't we follow him?"

-"Don't worry, Zoro. Just wait for explosions and commotions. Luffy is always in the middle of it"- Sabo smiled softly. Suddenly, something bothered him. The town they just arrived was too quiet

-"Where is everybody?"- he asked aloud

* * *

-"Food, where can I find food?"- Luffy's stomach growled once more, making the boy whine. Before he could ponder on it too much, an orange-haired girl appeared before Luffy

-"Boss!"- she exclaimed- "You came to save me!"

Luffy was confused

-"Who the hell are you?"

-"I'll leave the rest to you!"- she continued, as though he had never spoken, and ran away. It was then that Luffy noticed the three weak-looking pirates that were chasing her

-"SHIT! She got away!"- one of them screamed

-"Doesn't matter. We've got her boss"

-"Yeah!"- the third pirate punched Luffy, making his hat fall off his head- "Hey kid! You're coming with us!"- he was about to grab Luffy's shoulder, when the boy grabbed his head and smashed it against the floor. He lifted his gaze, and the pirates began to tremble. The boy had the most terrifying glare they had ever seen

-"Don't. Touch. The. Hat."- he said with a terrible voice. The pounding that followed was one the pirates would never forget. In the future, they would never be able to remember Luffy's face without wetting their pants.

Luffy brushed his vest from imaginary dust. As he bended down to collect his hat, he heard a voice

-"My! You're strong! You beat those pirates without breaking a sweat!"

The young pirate lifted his face and saw the woman from before. She was sitting on a rooftop, a humorous smile grazing her lips

-"My name's Nami, and I'm a thief that steals from pirates! Say, wanna team up? The two of us could make a fortune!"

A thief that stole from pirates? No way in hell

-"Not interested"- Luffy declared, and proceeded to continue his search for food

-"Don't be like that!"- Nami exclaimed as she came to the ground- "You've got some skills! And besides…"- a growl interrupted her. Luffy fell on his knees, moaning

-"I'm sooo hungry"

Nami smirked. This could work for her advantage

-"I know where to get some food"

-"Really!?"- he asked excitedly.

* * *

As Luffy was eating every food supply in the house, Nami was examining him, interested. She hadn't seen him fighting her pursuers (she was climbing to the roof of a house at the time), but she saw the knockout state of the pirates. They wouldn't be up for a long time. However, if one were to see him, one would never suspect this boy was the cause. He looked too… innocent. Nami held back a dark laugh. There was a time when she was like that too.

-"This house is so big! You live here?"

-"Of course not! The villagers left town and are hiding in an outside shelter because of the arrival of the Buggy Pirates."

-"Buggy?"- Luffy asked. The name seemed familiar. Where had he heard it?

-"He's a famous pirate, known for his love of cannons. They say he once blew up a whole village because some kids made fun of his nose. Rumors say, he even has some strange abilities"

-"But then, why isn't there anybody on the village?"

-"I JUST SAID THEY RAN AWAY BECAUSE OF THE BUGGY PIRATES!"

-"Oh, so they are cowards? You're stealing from these empty houses?"

-"NO, YOU IDIOT!"- Nami couldn't believe this guy. How could he be so idiotic- "Also, I don't steal from these houses. I'm not a criminal, I only steal from pirates. My goal is to get a hundred million beli, then I'm gonna buy a village. And with this"- Nami searched her pocket and brought out a map- "I'll be able to go to the Grand Line and steal from pirates with lots of treasure"

Luffy eyed the girl warily, but hid this behind a smile. If she thought stealing from Grand Line pirates was the same than stealing from East Blue ones, she was in for a nasty surprise. Luffy wouldn't be surprised if she died a few hours after entering the place.

-"So how about it?"- Nami continued- "wanna team up?"

Before he could answer, Luffy saw the map, and an idea appeared on his mind

-"Speaking of maps… do you know how to navigate?"

-"Of course I do! My skills are the best! There aren't a lot of people who know more than I do. Especially since I love the sea!"

-"THAT'S GREAT! We're also going to Grand Line!"- Luffy couldn't believe his luck. This girl, his gut feeling told him she was the navigator he needed. Also, if she was with him, he could protect her while they were on Grand Line… wait a minute, where did that come from?

-"Really?"- she asked

-"Yeah! You should join my pirate crew"

Nami froze for a second, before her eyes became filled with anger

-"NO WAY!"

Luffy tilted his head, confused

-"So you're a pirate, huh?"- Nami continued- "Forget everything I said, then. I don't want to team up with you"

Luffy was taken a bit aback by the sudden anger he felt from Nami. She was filled with so much hate… just like his brothers were a few years back. The thief continued

-"The thing I hate most in this world are pirates! I only like money and oranges!"

Those last words felt like a huge blow to Luffy. _"I only like money…"_ those words, they sounded just like… _her. _Luffy swallowed his raging feelings and pushed _her_ image away from his mind. There was no need to be thinking of her at the moment.

The young pirate's sudden uneasiness wasn't noticed by Nami

_ "Damn, he was just a useless, stupid pirate. He doesn't even look like he has anything worth stealing…"_

-"Hey, become my navigator"

-"THE HELL I WILL!"- she growled furiously. Suddenly, an idea sprouted in her mind. Maybe this pirate would have his uses after all. She gave him a sly smirk, which he chose to ignore

-"All right, I'll join your crew"

-"REALLY?"

-"You go with me to see Buggy"- there was that name again, Buggy. Luffy could have swore he heard it before… maybe during one of Shanks' stories. For some reason, the image of a tomato also popped along this train of thought. Well, whatever

-"Ok, then"- he smiled happily- "Let's go see Buggy"

-"Hang on a second. There's just one more thing"- before Luffy could even blink, he found himself tied up by Nami. At that moment, he remembered something

* * *

_Flashback_

_ -"Ace, what are you doing?"- the recently eleven-year old Sabo asked as Ace was tying Luffy up. The boy, three years younger, was silently waiting for Ace to explain the plan to Sabo. _

_ -"Sabo, we have no money, we have no food. There isn't even a hunting ground near, or bandits to steal from. We have to get something"_

_ -"Y-you're not doing what I think you're doing, right?"- Sabo's eyes were scared_

_ -"Of course not, you idiot! I'm not gonna give him to the marines!"- Ace glared at his older brother while Luffy flinched. He didn't like the fact that Ace seemed to be getting darker these days- "I just need an excuse to enter the marine headquarters. If we go a little disguised, we'll enter and then when they lower their guard, we'll attack"_

_ -"Ace, we can just steal from villagers…"_

_ -"Luffy doesn't want to! Every time I tried, he would cling to my arm or waist and stop me! All of this, it was his idea!"_

_Sabo glanced at their youngest brother, and Luffy smiled in return. The older brothers felt their hearts clench. Why? Why were they forced to resort to this? Stealing, looting, tricking… and now they were going to a wolf's mouth. However, what tormented them most, was the fact that in their situation, it was their baby brother the one who was trying to pull them forward. _

* * *

Luffy smirked.

So this girl attempted to do the same? Use him as bait? He would humor her for now, for he wanted to know a little more about her, and her ways. Ten years ago, Ace had managed to fulfill the plan, would this girl do it too? Would she have the strength and will to achieve her goals?

* * *

-"WHAT!?"- captain Buggy screamed, furious- "They lost track of the map thief? They say a single thief did this to them?"

-"Aye, Captain Buggy"- one nameless subordinate answered- "when we found them, they were barely conscious, and most of their bones were broken. The only thing they managed to say was that a boy with a straw hat attacked them"

-"THOSE IDIOTS!"- Buggy was about to execute the unfortunate messenger of the news, when another one interrupted

-"Captain Buggy, the thief we saw is here!"

-"Bring her in!"

-"She… came herself"

As he said those words, Nami entered and shoved Luffy to the floor, making him fall on his face. Nami grinned

-"I've captured the thief, Captain Buggy, leader of this pirate fleet. And I've also returning your map"

Luffy sighed silently. If he was going to do this, he might as well do it good.

-"Hey"- he cried- "you've tricked me!"- there, simple and convincing. As long as he didn't try to lie (he was tricked, technically) he would be able to convince them of Nami's "traitorous" act

Buggy gave one evil grin

-"I see. You're obediently returning my map. But why?"

-"My boss and I had an argument. I'm tired of him. So please, let me join your crew"

Buggy was silent for a moment, and many expected his wrath, when suddenly, he started laughing hysterically

-"HAHAHAHAHAHA, I like you, girl, you've got spunk. Okay, I'll let you join my crew"

As Nami's face became one filled with confidence, Luffy's eyes were shadowed for a moment

_ "Nami, be careful. Pirates are not as dumb as you may think…"_

* * *

-"Are you sure you should be doing this? Shouldn't we be looking for Luffy?"

-"Zoro, you heard him before! When we hear bombs or fights, we'll find him. Till we do, I suggest replenishing our strength. We didn't bring any supplies from the last island we were in"- Ace continued eating whatever he could find in one of the abandoned houses. Sabo sighed.

-"What surprises me the most is the fact that you two give a damn to the emptiness of this town. Doesn't it worry you, just a little?"

-"Nop"- Ace said

-"Not really"

-"Geez, and I though with Zoro, we would have more common sense. It seems I'm alone on that subject"

Sabo stared out the window, and to his surprise, he saw three men who were undoubtfully pirates.

_"Might as well ask them"_

Sabo went to the balcony and jumped to the ground in front of the men

-"Excuse me, may I ask you a few questions?"- loyal to his nickname, Sabo followed a policy that was opposite of what his brothers followed, which mostly consisted on kicking butt and asking questions later- "Why is this town so empty?"

The pirates' smiles did not seemed friendly to Sabo, but he repeated the mantra that had allowed him to be considered a civilized person, unlike his family _"You're a gentleman, Sabo, not an uncontrolled maniac. You are going to wait before you break bone… breathe…"_

-"You're an idiot, aren't you, kid?"- a tick mark appeared on Sabo's forehead. He did not like being called kid, but he held it in- "This town is the territory of the Buggy Pirates, the greatest pirates in the world!"

Sabo restrained from rolling his eyes. These Buggy pirates… wait a minute, Buggy? Where had he heard that name before? And where did the image of a tomato come from? Before he could ponder more on these questions, the wannabe pirates' voices snap him out of it

-"However, you look suspicious. Show respect in front of pirates, kid! We'll kill you if you don't!"

-"This Buggy"- Sabo ignored the last threat- "Who is he?"

-"He's the greatest captain of them all! A terrifying man with a devil fruit ability. Now bow down, kid"

-"I would appreciate if you wouldn't call me that"

-"Call you what, kid?"

Sabo felt a twitch in his eye. His anger was slowly rising

-"Call me kid one more time"

The pirate sneered and raised his sword

-"I'll kill you, ki…"

Sabo took out his bow staff and hit the man so hard he was sent flying. He glared at the other two

-"You think I'm a kid too?"- as the pirates ran away screaming like little girls, Sabo sighed- "I think I spend too much time with Ace and Luffy. I'm rubbing off their stupidity"

Ace and Zoro exited the house, the first one smirking

-"And you said I had a temper. I'd be careful with my words, Sabo"

-"Shut up. You of all people have no right to judge me"

Attempting to ignore his brother's comments, Sabo once again thought about the name Buggy.

-"Ace, do you remember someone being called Buggy?"

-"Buggy?"- asked his two crew mates

-"Yes, those wannabe pirates said the territory was his… I think I heard the name before, but I can't remember. And for some reason, my head keeps picturing a tomato"

Ace looked thoughtful for a second

-"Wasn't Buggy the name of one of Shanks' ex-nakama? You know, the one who apparently had the most ridiculous nose in history? Shanks kept comparing it to a tomato"

-"That's it! Shanks told us about him! Apparently he also formed his own pirate crew! He's a friend of Shanks!"

-"Why didn't you say so? Let's go say hi!"- before he could give one more step, Ace fell to the ground, unconscious. Zoro eyed him warily, but before he could say anything, Sabo picked up his brother, and shoved him to Zoro

-"I've carried him for more than ten years. Your turn"

Zoro groaned as he placed him on his shoulder. However, the name Shanks rang a bell

-"You mentioned Shanks? As, Red-Hair Shanks?"

-"Yes, he was our captain. We left him a few days ago in order to start our own crew"

Zoro was impressed

-"You belonged to one of the most powerful pirate crew? How come he let you go?"

-"Shanks doesn't force people to join or to stay. We were with him for a few years, till we decided it was time to go. We were waiting for Luffy's seventeen birthday"

-"Why?"

-"Just a whim."

Silence for a moment

-"Sabo?"

-"Yeah, Zoro?"

-"Where exactly is Buggy staying?"

Sabo froze in his steps. He hadn't thought to ask that

* * *

-"The map from the Grand Line has been recovered! Furthermore, we've recruited a new member! Drink to your heart's content!"- screamed Buggy happily, as his crew cheered. Nami observed as the pirates began doing impressive acrobatics, looking more like circus performers than pirates.

She laughed, participated in drinking matches, and pretended to cheer, but inside, she was waiting for an opportunity to steal the treasure and recover the map. Taking a moment's breath, she approached the cage Luffy had been placed in while tied up

-"How's it going, boss?"

-"Shut up and let me out"- Luffy muttered- "I'm hungry"

Nami handed his a piece of meat she found somewhere. The boy did look pitiful, and she had already taken too much advantage of him

-"You are a good person"- Luffy said as he swallowed his meat- "I guess I'll let you join my crew!"

-"FOR THE LAST TIME, I WON'T!"- Nami breathed in a few times before speaking once again- "Don't you understand your position? You'll be most certainly sold to some place by these pirates. But don't worry; once my plan succeeds I'll free you. I have nothing against you"

-"HAHAHAHAHA, you've got yourself a good follower, little brat!"- Luffy held in his panic. Had he figured Nami out? Before he could think more of it, Buggy continued- "she betrayed and delivered you to the enemy's hand"- Luffy released the air that was stuck in his throat. Thank god, Nami was still safe… again, where the hell did that notion come from?

Buggy smirked

-"Even though I got my map back, it's a terrible crime to steal from me. Your fate has been decided"

-"Oh? So you're gonna let me go?"

-"Yes, I'm gonna let you go… YOU THINK I'M THAT STUPID!?"

Buggy directed himself at his crew

-"Boys, prepare the buggy special cannonball!"

As they loaded said cannonball, they pointed it towards the houses

-"FIRE!"

Nami gasped, horrified as she saw the destruction of more than ten houses with one shot. Luffy, on the other hand, seemed utterly unimpressed

_ "Heh, I've seen worse"_

-"With these cannonballs and the powers given to me by the Devil Fruit, my success in the Grand Line is a certainty! I shall become the Pirate King"

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, TIME OUT! Luffy could handle being tied up, locked in a cage and practically spit on… but there was no way in hell he was going to stay silent with this moron attempting to claim his dream

-"YOU IDIOT!"- he screamed- "I'M GONNA BE THE PIRATE KING!"

The pirates and Nami froze in their place, but Buggy only eyed him viciously

-"I can see why you can't stand him, Nami. So I'll give you a gift."- the Buggy pirates pointed their cannon at Luffy and handed Nami a match box- "Shoot the cannon, Nami! Prove your loyalty to me! Get rid of your boss once and for all!"

Nami felt cold sweat running down her forehead

-"The-there's no need to kill him, Captain Buggy! More importantly, let's drink! Forget that guy!"

Buggy gave her a menacing expression

-"Kill him"

As Buggy's crew demanded for the act to be committed, Luffy saw as Nami's whole plan fell apart. He remembered his own experience so many years ago, the victory he and his brothers achieved at the cost of heavy injuries. The oath they had followed, that was ignored by Nami. As they made eye contact, Luffy decided it was time for this girl to pop out of her bubble and show her true worth

-"Your hand is shaking"- Nami trembled at his gaze, and at that moment, there were no pirates, no Buggy. Only her, and the boy whose fate lay in her hands- "This is what happens when you lack the strength to follow the pirate's oath"

-"And what is that oath?"- she replied, as terrible memories danced in her mind- "Killing innocents as if they were flies? Pillaging villages and ruining lives?"

-"No. It's the will of risking your life to achieve your goal"

Those words knocked the air out of Nami. This boy… in her ingenuity, she hadn't noticed the power that he emanated. For a moment, Nami saw a powerful soul instead of the naïve and childish boy she met. This boy… this pirate… there was no way she could allow him to die

One impatient pirate snatched the match box from her and proceeded to lit the fuse. Nami reacted, and quickly joining arming her bow staff, she knocked the pirate unconscious. For a moment, nobody moved, until Buggy screamed

-"KILL HER!"

* * *

Sabo and Zoro froze in their tracks as a blinding light destroyed the houses at their side

-"What the hell was that?"- Zoro asked

-"I'll bet my hat that Luffy has something to do with this"

The pirates began to ran towards the origin of said light, and for a moment, Sabo's heart stopped as he saw the situation. Luffy, his little brother, was trapped in a cage on the border of a bar's roof. A girl seemed to be protecting him against some pirates, but she was being overwhelmed. A cannon was pointing at Luffy, and Sabo flinched a little as he saw the girl turn off the fuse by using her bare hands. The sight of his brother made Sabo's body boil with anger. Before he could jump there and rip those pirates apart, a body was thrown into him and he was surprised to see it was Ace.

-"I'll go help him!"- Zoro exclaimed as he went towards the fight. Sabo, not wanting to miss anything, threw his brother aside and went behind Zoro

The buggy pirates were about to kill Nami, when Zoro stood between them, slashing the enemy. He didn't know who this girl was, but if she had tried to protect his captain, then she was most likely an ally. Behind him, Sabo appeared. The shadow given by his hat accompanied by his glare made all of the pirates freeze. This was not an enemy they could handle

-"Sabo! Zoro!"- Luffy exclaimed happily. Sabo knelt by him

-"Are you hurt?"

-"Nop. Hey, where's Ace?"

-"Sleeping. Now, would you please get out of there?"

Luffy smiled as he move his fingers, creating small but powerful wind currents. In a few seconds, the cage had fallen in pieces and Luffy was stretching his muscles, glad to have them free

The buggy pirates stared wide-eyed at this display, but instead of attributing it to Luffy, they assumed that Zoro had somehow cut the cage apart

-"Zoro? Did that kid just called him Zoro?"

-"Th-that's Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter! He just cut iron!"

-"What's he doing here?"

Nami was just as confused

-"One of his crewmates was Roronoa Zoro!? I don't understand!?"

Buggy was the only one who showed no fear. Ignoring Sabo and Luffy, he focused on Zoro

-"You're definitely Roronoa Zoro. Have you come for me head?"

-"Not interested. I've quit pirate hunting"

-"Oh, but I'm interested. If I kill you, then I'll be more famous"

-"Don't"- Zoro glared- "You'll die"

Luffy, Sabo and the Buggy pirates watched as Zoro and Buggy confronted each other. With one swift movement, Zoro cut Buggy in many pieces. As he fell, the young pirates felt confusion. How could this guy be so weak? They were about to leave, when the buggy pirates started laughing. Hard

-"What's happening? Why are they laughing?"

Sabo suddenly remembered something he didn't pay much attention to

-"Zoro, look out! This guy has a devil fruit!"

Before Zoro could react, he felt a sharp pain at his side. Looking down, they all saw how a floating hand had stabbed Zoro.

-"ZORO!"- Sabo screamed

-"HAHAHAHA You can't cut me! I ate the Chop- Chop Fruit! No sword can hurt me!"

-"Wha? I thought devil fruits were supposed to be a myth!"

Luffy felt cold rage towards the man who had hurt Zoro

-"Attacking from behind is cowardly, you big nose!"

The Buggy pirates gaped at Luffy, while Nami was having a mini-panic attack

-"You idiot! That's the worst thing you can say!"

-"Who… are... you calling… BIG NOSE!"- Buggy threw a knife at Luffy, which seemed to hit him on the head

-"LUFFY!"- Zoro and Sabo screamed, however, they sighed in relief as they saw him caught it with his teeth

-"Buggy, I'm gonna kick your ass. Sabo!"- the two brothers glanced at each other, and Sabo nodded. Luffy grabbed Zoro and carried him in his back, and took Nami's arm and started moving her. Sabo, on the other hand, moved the cannon till it pointed at Buggy and his pirates

-"Wait!"- Buggy screamed- "That thing is still loaded with the buggy ball!"

-"Really?"- Sabo smiled demonically- "so that's what that light was. By the way, your nose really does look like a tomato"- saying this, Sabo transformed his hand into a claw, and scraping his nails, he produced a spark which lighted the fuse. A big boom was heard as the young pirates jumped off the roof.

* * *

**Wow, finally done! First of all, I would like to thank two very special people: lonelydream17 and Dorito Monkey D. Nyan, for they are the first ones who have reviewed my story and make me feel like it's worth continuing! Thank you for your review, although I have no idea what**

**WUUUUUTTTTT. means (hope it's something nice :p). **

**As for the story, can you please tell me if the characters are allright? I made Ace a little more aggresive than the anime because I saw how he acted as a child, and I suppose Sabo's death changed his personality. As for Luffy, the reason I made him a little more cunning (like how he figured Nami's plan) was because in my story, unlike the anime, he had real experience with the world, and had a different past. As for Sabo, I made him into a "gentleman" that has been somewhat influenced by his brothers. Please, review! I would appreciate it very much! Luna Dark Midnight out!**


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